Improvement in collapsible boats



E. L" BERTHON.

Collapsible Boat.

e Pate'nted Aug. 31, |875. F151.

EDWARD L. BERTHON, OF ROMSEY, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN COLLAPSIBLE BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 67,214, dated August31, 1875; application filed To all whom it may concern: l Beit knownthat LEDWARD LYON BERTHON, of Romsey, Hampshire, England, have inventedcertain Improvements in Collapsing-Boats, of which the following is aspeciiication:

My invention relates to that class of boats l having flexible skins, andcapable of being folded or collapsed, so that they maybe stowed in asmall space for transportation. The invention, consists, partly, in theconstruction ofthe timbers, as applied to this class of boats 5 also, inthe hinging ot' the timbers together at the ends, and the hin ging ofthe bottom boards 5 also, in the removable stanchions or struts forsetting up the gunwales of the boat, as herein described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved boat. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view, one-half being intransverse section. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the boatcollapsed. The remaining iigures are enlarged detail Views of thedifferent parts, which will be hereafter referred to. Y

In the drawings, A is the keel of the boat, constructed in the usualmanner. B is the bow post or stem; and G is the stern-post. These latterare attached rigidly to the keel, forming, with the latter, the standingframe ofthe boat to receive the remaining parts. D D are longitudinalribs or side timbers, constructed in a particular way, as follows: Eachtimber is made up of several thin laminee or plates, a a, placed oneupon the other, as shown in Fig. 10, and bent to the proper curve, beingheld together by means of long bolts b b. The ends of the plates a a jog7 with notches or steps cut in the solid end pieces c c, which are alsobent to the proper curve. The timbers D D are linked or hinged togetherat their ends, one above the other, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, by meansof straps d d over their ends, and links e e. The lowermost longitudinaltimbers on each side are hinged to the bow and stern posts. Fig.7 showsthe timbers as they appear when the boat is collapsed, and Fig. 8 asthey appear when the boat is expanded for use. E E are blocks ofquadrant shape, secured to each side of the stem and stern posts, andserve to till up the spaces left between said posts and the ends of theribs, the latter abut- May 24, 1875.

ting against and tting snugly thereto. The bottom boards F F are hinged,at their outer edges, to the lowermost longitudinal timbers at g g,thecentral joint or place of meeting being in the center-line of theboat, the boards being supported by the keel or keelson. The skin Got'the boat should be of some impervious and flexible material, aswater-proof canvas, said skin or covering being secured to the timbersin some convenient manner. The side timbers D D are made quite wide, andan inner skin, El, ofthe same material as the outer one, is secured totheir inner edges, thus forming water tight compartments between the twoskins, which impart great buoyancy to the vessel or boat.

When the boat is expanded, as shownin Figs. 1,2, and 3, it not supportedin some way, it will collapse of itself. To prevent this I employstanchions or struts h h, which engage with notches in the bottom boardsF F, andv catch under the uppermost longitudinal timbers at i t', beingnotched at their upper ends for that purpose; or they may be constructedas shown in Fig. 9. In this form the strut is provided with a T-headadjusting-screw,j, at the top, to catch under the upper timber, Whilethe lower end k is made spherical, and rests in a correspondingindentation in the bottom board. The adjusting-screw enables the struttobe lengthened, thus straining the boat, and rendering it stid and rigid.This last-described form of strut is the one I claim and" prefer to use.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detached views, showing how the thwarts maybe hingedat the side timbers, and need no particular explanation. A

For large boats, to be used on passenger vessels and transports, Iprovide a longitudinal locker, I, running centrally fore and aft, andsupported by being attached directly to the bow and stern posts, orresting on stanchions stepped in the keelson. This locker lies justbeneath the thwarts, andis provided with hatches J J, for stowin gprovisions, Water, Sto., and also for liking the compass. It alsoassists in securing the loggerhead or bollard, to take the cable ortowing line, and supplies a housing for the masts. When stowed the mastsare secured beneath the locker, lashed thereto, and the ores and sailson each side.A

When the boat is to be collapsed for stowing, the struts h 7L are firstremoved, and then the bottom boards F F are lifted up in the center bymea: s of rope handles, or any equivalent means. This allows the twoloWermost side timbers to close in on the keel, and the other sidetimbers readily follow, all lying` close beside each other, as indicatedin Fig. 4.

I have obtained Letters Patent in England for the Within-describedinvention, which Letters Patent were dated in 1873.

Having thus described my invention, vI claim- 1. In a collapsing-boat,thelocker I, extending longitudinally and centrally, and secured at itsends to the stem and stern posts in such manner as to serve as a braceor support therefor, When provide l 4With hatches J J for stor- 3. Thestrut h, provided with a T-head ad-` justing-screw, j, at the top, tocatch under the upper side timber, and a spherical lower extremity, k,substantially as shown.

E. L. BERTHON.

Witnesses E. EDMoNDs, 166 Fleet street, London. S. CROWE, 2 WaterlooPlace, Pall Mall, London.

